


The Force Within

by honeymrk



Series: Star crossed Lovers [1]
Category: Star Wars, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order (Video Game)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Existential Crisis, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Force Bond (Star Wars), Inappropriate Use of the Force, Not Canon Compliant, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, POV Second Person, POV Third Person, Post-Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order, Strong Female Characters, after the holocron, aged up cal kestis, help out (y/n), lord help cal hes strugglin, major angst, no beta we die like men, switching povs in this bitch
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 17:54:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29970141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeymrk/pseuds/honeymrk
Summary: After the events of the Holocron, Cal and the crew go from planet to planet trying to find other Force-Sensitives to attempt to rebuild the order in secret. Theres only a few problems.1) Cal hasn't found any other Jedi2) He found a little girl on a destroyed planet with two dead Jedi parents.He has no clue how to care for a small child, sure he has the help of Cere, Greez, and Merrin, but he doesn't know how to be a master yet, he's still learning the force himself. He does learn about a secluded planet, a planet where lost Jedi are meeting to rebuild the order, the last problem?Theres two inquisitors after him, and the map to said planet is scattered around different planets.
Relationships: Cal Kestis & Reader, Cal Kestis/Original Female Character(s), Cal Kestis/Reader
Series: Star crossed Lovers [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2204343
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	1. Molly

"Shh! We don't need any unwanted attention-" Cal presses to Bd-1, the small bot cowering lower on his back. Giving a sympathetic look, Cal looks back on the ruins and scans his surroundings. Buildings were broken and some seemed to be holding on by threads. Bodies of the villagers were laying across the walkways, blood seeping into the dirt. He grimaces, feeling guilty for not being in time to at least save a few people, but the empire was quick when they wanted to be, and sadly they made it to yet another peaceful planet before he did. He knew that the already scarce force-sensitive would have been eliminated.

" _ Beep?" _

"Yeah, I think we're too late."

Standing at his full height, Cal sighs and continues walking through the rubble, the hilt of his saber still clutched in his hand. At the end of the small village, there was only one house still intact, the door was busted down and some windows were broken. Walking closer, Cal carefully takes a step up the stairs, creaking under his weight. Bd-1 quickly jumps off his shoulder, running into the house and leaving a distressed Cal behind.

"Bd!" He calls, glancing around him before dashing into the house behind his friend, stopping short at the sight in front of him.

Across the walls were burn marks unmistakable from a lightsaber, the wood still red and crackling. Pictures and blankets were broken and tossed about the living space, blood trailing across the floor. In front of a small fire, laied a purge trooper, their staff broken next to them. He walks further into the house, stopping in front of a man. His body was laying up against the wall, his eyes closed and his saber a few feet away from his outstretched hand.

Cal reaches forward, the small blue glow illuminating from the man's chest calling to him. He hovers his hand over, immediately feeling panic and fear.

_ "You'll never get her!" _

_ "Agh! Y-you Jedi scum-" _

_ "Juno!-" _

_ "Run! R-Agk!" _

Cal couldn't see anything, the glow faded quickly. "A Jedi?" Cal says softly, looking over the man's features. He didn't recognize him, he must have been in seclusion before the empire found them.

" _ Trill- blip" _ Bd-1 chirps, his small body jumping up each stair carefully. Cal reluctantly stands from the Jedi, grabbing Bd-1's leg to place him on his shoulder, skipping a stair as he went up. There was more blood trailing down the hallway as he continued, the wood creaking louder and louder.

"There was someone else, I have to know what happened-" he presses, placing BD-1 onto the floor so he could scurry away to find any clues as to what happened.

There was something about this house, how it stood alone, the energy that came off the walls was massive, the force seemed to be calling out to him. It guided him into one of the rooms, looking in and frowning, grief spilling into his gut.

It was the room a little girl would occupy, small pink blankets were thrown about and the small bed in the corner was littered with handmade stuffed animals and there were bows and ribbons thrown about the floor. His breath comes out labored, not seeing the small girl that must have lived in this room.

He leaves the room quickly, walking down the small hallway and into the only other room, stopping in the doorway.

In the middle of the bedroom was the other person, her voice being heard in the force essence. She was wearing a brown dress, now stained red. Her body laying on its side, her arms outstretched in front of her. Her hair was splayed out behind her, the floor covered with her blood. Cal sighs, stepping further into the room and stepping over her body. BD-1 runs quickly to the closet, trying to open it with his little foot. Stepping closer, cal opens it, meeting eyes with dazzling green ones.

Sitting on the floor, body shaking and cheeks stained with tears, sat the little girl Cal wondered about. Her dark hair was messy, the braid that fell over her shoulder almost fully undone. She clutched a piece of fabric, no doubt it was once her mother or father's. Laying next to her was a saber hilt, the leather worn and the kyber speaking in small whispers to cal.

"Hello," He speaks softly, the girl still jumping in fright. Her breathing was quick, and Cal took a step back, crouching down and giving her the softest smile he could muster. She only stares at him, her bottom lip quivering.

"I'm not here to hurt you," he says. Holding his hand out carefully, watching with pity as she cowers away from his hand. He glances down at BD-1

"Can you scan her? See if she's hurt?" he whispers down to him, trying not to scare the small girl further. Bd-1 perks up, tilting his head before stepping forward and scanning the girl. She yelps when Bd-1's blue grid turns on, a sob escaping her throat.

"I'm sorry! I just want to know if you're okay," he speaks with forgiveness soaking each word, his eyes watering at the sight.

She looks up to him with watery eyes, full of terror, confusion, so many emotions for a small girl. Cal snaps his fingers softly, collecting Bd-1s attention.

" _ Bop-Beep!"  _ he blips at cal, quickly returning to his side. Cal sighs in relief, she was okay, just a few scratches, and her heart-rate was well above normal.

Sitting on the ground, Cal crosses his legs and places his hands on his knees. Maybe if he could connect to the small girl, she could feel somewhat more comfortable. Glancing at Bd, Cal shrugs his shoulders.

"Maybe she's sensitive?" he says. Turning his attention back to her. He takes a deep breath before closing his eyes, calming himself and blocking out everything around him

He centered himself inside the force, relaxing and pushing it out all around him, filling it with comfort and trust. BD-1 watched as he usually did, waiting for his friend to wake up from his meditation, but the small glance at the small girl told wonders. The way she stared at cal with confusion slowly melted away. Her shoulders were still tense, but she stopped crying, her breathing slowing down. She could feel him, how comforting and trusting he was.

He could feel her too, her strong untrained force energy welled up inside her chest. He wrapped her in a blanket of comfort, trying his best to show her that he wasn't an enemy, that he wasn't going to hurt her.

That they were the same.

When she began to reach out unknowingly, he was filled with her fear, it spilled into his like a tsunami. Her dread and terror of seeing her parents cut down, of how the blood felt on her hands, crying out for her mother when she was placed in the closet for protection.

He gasped, opening his eyes and recoiling in fear. Tears fell from his eyes, looking back to the girl. She stared back at him silently, an unknown understanding passing between the two. Cal willed himself to calm down, for the small girl in front of him. She was still curled up, small hands still clutching the clothing.

"Cal, My name is Cal Kestis," he speaks softly, so softly BD-1 almost didn't process what he said. Cal waited, slowing his breathing and giving her a small smile.

"M-Molly."

Cal almost didn't believe it, hearing her voice. It was light, frail, scared. Her voice was soft, breaking the silence between them. He smiles, not moving closer, but not moving away. Waiting for her to become more comfortable around him before trying anything.

"Hello, Molly," he says, bowing his head and smiling softly at her. She doesn't do anything, he didn't need her to. 


	2. The Inquisitors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four months pass since Cal found Molly, and now hes dead set on finding the map that can lead them to a secluded planet, but before he can, he meets two people whos gonna ruin his day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah hah- heY. 
> 
> once again, the way i write the force is my interpretation of how its used, if you feel its wrong, im sorry. 
> 
> song of the chapter: Greek Tragedy   
> the song may or may not go along with the chapter, its just what i was listening to when writing it :)) 
> 
> i also dont have a beta reader- we die like men

“I feel like my leg is gonna fall off”

“Shut. Up.”

“I'm just saying!”

“You’ll give away our cover if you don’t shut up”

(Y/n) glares over at her partner, her helmet blocking him from actually seeing her expression. Lan only shrugs his shoulders, knowing he was already in trouble for not wearing his helmet for a mission, saying that Kashyyyk was already hot and humid, so a helmet would only make it worse. She lost track of how long they’ve been there, tracking this  _ unbeatable _ Jedi-knight. Her double sabers hilt was swinging at her side, the back of her neck sweating. Lan was throwing around his hilt, resting his head on his hand while he sat on his knees, the matte black metal glazed with the sweat from his palm.

Lan looks back up to (Y/n), huffing in annoyance.

“When the hell are we supposed to do? Wait for him to skip by and jump him?” He said, puffing his cheeks. (Y/n) looked back over to him, taking a deep breath before bringing a hand up quickly to slap the back of his head. “Why else would the general send us here?” she spat. Already dreading the mission her master sent her on.

Ever since the news spread of Trillas death, and the defeat of Lord Vader, inquisitors have backed off from going after the Jedi, not wanting to risk losing their life. The general saw this and sent out his two best inquisitors from The Executor. The two were known for getting the job done quickly, working in tandem together ever since they first began their training at just 11 years old.

“I’ll kill him,” Lan growled out in annoyance, glaring down at the Wookie general that walked into view. (Y/n) placed a hand onto his chest, peering down at the Wookie as well.

“We wait until we see the Jedi.”

Lan only rolled his eyes, pushing her hand away and glaring back over the large fallen tree that they were hidden behind. Kashyyk has grown more since the Holocron mission, the walker that they passed on the way up now swallowed fully by foliage.

Tarfful was accompanied by two other wookies and a woman, her blaster at the ready in her hands. Lan shuffled forward, spinning his hilt once more in his hand before gripping it tightly.

“There,” (Y/n) whispered, gazing down at the target.

Cal had a large smile on his face as he walked to Mari and Tarfful, spreading his arms wide to take her into a hug. She gladly accepted it, laughing softly into his shoulder as they pulled apart. BD-1 jumped down from his shoulder, running towards Tarfful who only bent down to pat him on the head.

“Cal,” she cooed, ruffling his hair, “It's been so long! Didn’t even call us!”

He only laughs softly as he scratches the back of his head, placing his hands at his hips. “I’ve come for advice, guidance from you and Tarfful,” he said. Glancing to BD-1 who seemed to have fun dashing around to scan new plant life and small bugs.

Mari and Tarfful exchanged glances, her eyebrows now knit with worry. The last time he came to Tarfful, he was looking for the Holocron. Cal looked around, feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand. He didn’t want to be here any longer than he needed to, he would rather get the map and leave as soon as possible.

“I need a map,” he said softly, leaning closer to the two. The other Wookie was looking in all directions, also feeling the weird shift in the air.

(Y/n) looked over to Lan, nodding her head once before looking back to the group. Smiling, Lan stands and cracks his neck, shaking his shoulders out and stepping onto the tree, using it to leap down the cliff and in front of the only exit from the large open area.

The group snapped their attention to him, Cal taking out his saber quickly, the violet blade crackling to life. Lan only laughed, pointing to the blade in mock. Cal looked over to BD-1, who squealed as he ran back to jump onto Cal, latching down onto his vest.

“ _ That’s _ the Jedi-knights lightsaber? Violet? What kind of color is  _ that?! _ ” he says. Cal only stares him down, despair pooling into his gut. The black armor the man wore was a clean giveaway of who he was, only the hilt of the saber was different from Trillas.

“Cal-” Mari says, her voice shaking. She knew who the man was too, his and his partner's name bleeding into the rumors of the new dangerous inquisitors. Tarfful holds an arm out in front of her, pushing her behind him as he pulls out a blaster and aims it at Lan, even though he knew it wouldn't do anything to the Force-User.

“Who are you?” Cal spat at the Inquisitor, only getting a chuckle and shoulder shrug in return.

“I go by many things, do you wanna know the short ones or the long ones? Or perhaps just a few I personally like-”

“I don’t care- just tell me who you are!” Cal huffs, ignoring the quiet calls of his name behind him.

The other wookie was strangely looking and aiming at the foliage behind the group, but Tarfful and Mari knew he was looking for the other inquisitor.

“The Fourth Brother,  _ Jedi _ ,” Lan spat. Losing the amusement on his features for a scowl, igniting his saber and spinning it. The red blade looked different from Trilla’s, it was more jagged, spewing out red sparks.

Cal gripped onto his saber tighter, dropping into a stance and staring down the man. Smirking, Lan dashed forward, raising his saber to strike against Cals, the power behind the strike drawing a grunt from Cal.

Mari and Tarfful turned around, trying to find a quick escape, they spotted the rope in the back of the valley, glancing back at Cal.

Huffing, Mari grabbed the small ball hanging off her belt, rubbing her thumb over it before looking back up, “Cal!” She calls, gaining the man's attention, he blocked another hit from Lan, using his Force to halt him for a few seconds, turning and dashing towards the trio. Mari quickly throws him the sphere, nodding towards him.

“It's not the map, but it can lead you to people who  _ do _ know where it is,” she says quickly, glancing behind Cal before raising her blaster, firing at Lan who was just coming free, yelping as the shot grazed his neck, silky black fabric dangling after being ripped.

“Go.” is all she said, turning and running with the two wookies towards the exit, Cal turned, glaring down Lan as he clipped the sphere to his belt. BD-1 looked down to Cal, nodding as he popped open his stim canister compartment, ready to heal Cal

Cal blocked everything the inquisitor threw at him, even getting in a few shots himself, only to be blocked as well. Lan growled in annoyance, not wanting (Y/n) to come and save him like she always had to. Managing to roll away from one of Cals' hits, he glances up to where he knew (Y/n) must have been watching from, scooching onto his back further away from the Jedi.

Cutting the ground next to him, Cal was beginning to grow frustrated, why couldn't he just hit him? Down him enough so he could get away or just kill him and stop further encounters from happening.

(Y/n) watched with bored eyes, sighing as she watched Lan get beaten up by the Jedi. She only began to move when Cal stopped to kick Lan across the face, pulling his lightsaber back to stab Lan, only for him to roll out of the way.

She leaps down from the ledge, using the force to slow her fall, landing easily onto her feet. Cal stopped mid-attack, looking over to her with wide-eyes. He was taken back to the moment he saw Trilla, her helmet's red eyes piercing into his. The new inquisitor's helmet was sleeker and more defined than Trillas and the Ninth Sisters.

“You’re so dead,” Lan seethed through bloody teeth. Cal quickly backed up, regaining his bearings and glancing to the robot over his shoulder.

“Cal Kestis, I’ve been thrilled to meet you,” (Y/n) said, her voice joyless and monotone. Cal felt a shiver go down his spine, breathing heavily and pushing his hair away from his forehead, sweat falling down the sides of his face slowly.

“Didn’t know this was a party,” Cal said, earning a chuckle from Lan on the ground. (Y/n) walked closer to him, nudging him with her foot. Lan slapped her boot away, earning a soft chuckle from her, the sound alone made Cal nauseous, the robotic laugh not settling right with him.

The two were so much different from the other inquisitors he’s met, they acted like sane people like they weren't crazy for his blood.

“You don’t know me, but I plan to change that,” she said, stepping closer and holding out her hand. “The sphere,” she said bluntly.

Cal rolled his eyes, walking slowly with his saber raised, shaking his head as he went. “Over my dead body,” he growled. BD-1 chirped fearfully, watching the woman’s neck tilt, a sick crack sounding around them. Lan tried his best to stand, shaking out his arms and sheathing his saber, clipping it to his side.

“Bad choice,” Lan said, glaring over at the redhead who glared back. Lan's once curly brown hair was caked with mud and leaves, blood dripping from his mouth.

“I won't kill you, it's not a part of my plan,” (Y/n) growled. She stepped closer to him, watching with sharp eyes as he inched closer to the arched exit.

Cal could feel the force around him filled with anger, the fury the two people held in front of him was suffocating, seeing the unstable branch above him, he quickly thought up a plan. BD-1 saw it too, scurrying off his shoulder and out the exit in preparation for the plan, Lan watched with narrowed eyes, looking back to the Jedi with raised eyebrows.

(Y/n) stood with her arm outstretched still, snapping her fingers, grabbing the attention of Cal.

“I’m a patient person, but my maker you’re slow.  _ Give it to me! _ ” She yelled, curling her fingers to drag Cal's body closer. He fought back against the force, digging his feet into the ground. Lan watched with a smirk, walking around to get closer to the bot that ran away.

“ _ No!”  _ Cal yelled, breaking free from her hold and swinging his saber at her, she easily deflects it by leaning backward, spinning to kick his saber out of his hand, hearing it land in a puddle of mud feet away. Cal's eyes widened, dashing over to where his saber was only to be dragged once again by the girl.

“You’re not going to get away,” she said, standing still while she dragged him back to her. When her fingers were inches away from the sphere, Lans' scream resonated around the forest, grabbing (Y/n)'s attention. She snaps her head to look, growling when seeing the tiny robot perched on his shoulder, a small blade stuck into Lans's chest, his hands trying to push BD-1 away.

Cal took the moment of distraction to call his saber back to him, jumping up and tackling (Y/n), her back hitting the mud. Cal grabbed a handful of it, smearing it across her helmet while she tried to push him off. Jumping off of her, he force stops her, turning and pushing Lan back against the rock wall, his breath being knocked out of him, BD-1 jumps to cal, scrambling to hold on as Cal sprints away. Tilting his head up and outstretching his arm to grab onto the branch with the force, pulling it down.

With a groan, the arched tree begins to fall, the large bark covering the only escape. Lan leaps back, feeling the bark cut his cheeks and hands. Cal ran with everything he had left, sprinting onto the mantis and screeching at Greez to take off.

(Y/n) yells out in fury, throwing her helmet off and into the mud. Her cheeks were red, yellow eyes surrounded with red. Lan comes to stand next to her, debating on patting her back but deciding against it.

“I’ll kill him.” That is all she says, walking towards the tree and beginning to climb over it, Lan purses his lips, leaning down to grab her helmet before trailing after her


	3. The What and Who?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cal finds out who attacks him, setting course for the next planet. While (y/n) and Lan get eaten out on failing to kill the Jedi.

Cal heaved as he walked throughout the mantis, ignoring the strange looks Merrin and Cere gave him. Greez was in the pilots seat, putting the mantis into hyperspeed while Cal dropped onto the bright orange couch, mud falling onto the fabric. Cere sat next to him, making sure to give him enough space. The whole ship was quiet, BD-1 settling himself onto Merrins lap as she looked over to Cal in worry. 

“What happened?” Cere said softly, placing a hand onto Cals arm. He jerked back in surprise, looking up at Cere with wide frightful eyes, it made her think of when she first met Cal, his youthful eyes screaming with fear. This time, his face had a few more scars, the stubble the grew on his face gave his cheeks a mature shadow. 

“There’s more being sent after us-” he said, rushing his words under his breath. Cere moved closer, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. 

“What?” She pressed, Cal licking his lips and pushing her hands away. 

“More inquisitors! I thought they stopped after Trilla-” He stops short, looking up to Cere when mentioning her previous padawan. Cere only gazed at him with hard eyes, her mind deep in thought. Merrin stood up from her place on the couch, BD-1 blipping as she put him aside. She crossed her arms and walked back into the kitchen, her voice slicing through the air. 

“Of course there is, you thought they would stop after her death?” Cal shook his head, not trusting his voice. 

Cere still said nothing, her mind lost in thought while Greez entered the room, his arms being thrown up into the air when seeing the dirt smeared on the floor and his couch. “My couch!” he cries, dashing away with insults flowing from his mouth, fumbling for his cleaning supplies. 

Cal looks back over to Cere, catching his breath and rubbing at his knees. 

“What’re you thinking?-” he tries to ask, but is interrupted when Cere all but jumps from the couch, grabbing her data pad and turning it on, her fingers flying across the screen before leaning down and placing it onto the small table in front of the couch. Cal leaned closer to it, Merrin entering back in after being pushed out of the kitchen by Greez, her attention now drawn towards the datapad. 

The screen jumped up, the picture now displayed in the middle of all of them. On it, where the two Inquisitors Cal was encountered by, this time they didn’t wear their normal armor, and their sabers were clipped to their belts. The man still didn’t wear a helmet, and the woman still did, her hands clasped behind her back. 

“Were these the two that attacked you?” Cere said bluntly, her hands perched onto the hips as she looked to Cal. He kept looking at the screen, the man's piercing yellow eyes seeming so distant. 

“Yes,” he said bluntly. 

“These two have high stats within the empire,” Merrin said softly, reading the paragraphs written about the two. Cere chuckled, her hand reaching up and rubbing her forehead. 

“Cal you may have just gotten all of us a death wish,” she muttered, turning around to start pacing the ship. Cal looked at her like she grew two heads, jumping up from the couch and throwing his hands up. 

“I didn’t ask to be tracked again! Nor did I want to be almost killed for the millionth time!” he yelled, Merrin slapping his arm in warning. 

Standing back in front of the table, Cere glares at him while pointing to the picture of the two, “You don't know who they are, do you?” she asks, earning a head shake from Cal. 

“These two worked on The Executor,  _ Vader's  _ ship. They’re ten times more destructive than Trilla, she only wished she could be like them,” Cere said. Cal furrowed his eyebrows, looking down at the article before circling the table, trying to see them from a different angle. They didn’t seem as destructive as Cere was saying, they couldn't even take him out together. He looks back to Cere with narrow eyes, “How do you know them?” 

“When we were trying to find the Holocron, I stumbled across documents and files on them, I decided to take a few to see if I could find any plans or locations of force-sensitives that weren't on the Holocron. Instead, there was this and a bunch of other information files on them,” Cere said softly. 

“You didn't think to tell us any of this?” Merrin questioned, looking between the two and the article. Cere only shrugged her shoulders, “I didn't think we’d encounter them, they only go after Jedi Masters like Obi-wan and Cordova,” she said softly. 

“So you haven’t met them?” Cal asked, raising an eyebrow. Cere shook her head, crossing her arms and leaning her weight on one foot. 

“No, but I do remember a trooper talking about them when I was under questioning,” she replied. 

Cal stood for a minute, thinking about the two he encountered. The man didn’t seem like he’s been an Inquisitor long, and Trilla was much more angered than the woman. Trilla was able to see the light before she was killed, maybe if he talked to the two, he would be able to change their minds as well.

“Oh no, Cal I know exactly what you’re thinking and it's not gonna happen,” Cere said, pointing a finger to him, he raised his hands in surrender. 

“It could be a good idea!” he said, trying to reason with her. Merrin placed her hand on his shoulder, shaking her head, “Some people just aren't meant to be saved, Cal, they’ve been in the dark for too long, it's too late for them,” she said softly to him. He pursed his lips, sighing and turning back to the table. 

“Who are they?” He asked softly, defeat weighing on his shoulders. 

“(y/n) and Lan, The first brother and sister. They don’t go anywhere without the other. They like to play with Jedi, make them question themselves before either killing them or taking them to be turned. They’re extremely dangerous, they’re the rest of the inquisitors’  _ role models _ . You’re lucky you managed to get away,” cere said, rubbing Cals back in comfort. Greez was listening from the kitchen, taking in the information. 

“I swear, if Cal manages to turn them and wants them on our team, I’ll feed myself to the lizard on Bogano!” he yells, earning a laugh from Merrin, who turned and called back, “It's a Binog, Greez.”

“I don't care!” He yelled back, tempted to throw the soaked rag at her head. Cere and Cal both shared a chuckle, before he unclipped the sphere from his belt, holding it out in front of him. Cere’s eyes widened looking at it, the metal casing engraved with script neither could understand. There were spots chipped, and some rusted, but it was in good enough condition to not break. 

“Is- Is that it?” Cere said, looking up to Cal. He nodded, bringing his other hand forward to circle the top, gears clicked and turned, the sphere splitting in half and projecting a map of a planet. “Yeah,” Cal muttered back, a smile growing on his face. 

Greez and Merrin stopped bickering at each other, coming closer to stare at the small holographic map. 

“It’s not the map, but it’s where we’ll be going next,” Cal spoke with determination lacing his words, nodding his head once before turning and walking to the destination selector near the front of the ship. 

“We’re going to Tatooine, we need to find the map. For Molly.”

“Me?” 

Cal whipped around, finding the small girl at the doorway to the bedrooms. Her hair was knotted, hand rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Her voice was quiet, still just rising from her nap. Cere leaped forward, closing the article of the Fourth Brother and Sister before looking to Molly. 

“Uh-” Cal began, clearing his throat. 

“What map?” She pried, her arm dropping from her eyes to clutch at the shirt she was found with. 

Cal glanced at the others before walking to her, scooping her up and holding her on his hip. She yawned, placing her head onto his shoulder and looking at the holographic planet when Cal walked back over, he pointed to it, the planet zooming in to show sand dunes and small towns. 

“A map to a secret planet, somewhere where you don't have to be scared anymore,” he said softly. Cere frowned and picked up her data-pad, glaring down at the screen before going to her room, the door sliding shut behind her. Merrin came to stand next to Cal, her hand rubbing Molly’s small back. “You’ll love the secret planet, small one,” she said, raising her hand to pinch at Molly’s cheeks, who giggled and tried to slap her hand away. 

Greez went back to the pilots cabin, the stains in the couch now gone. Cal hummed and nodded his head, “You could finally sleep in your own room, and not with Merrin,” he teased, causing Merrin to fake being offended. 

“She loves sleeping with me, its better than sleeping next to you who  _ snores _ ” she replied. Molly ignored them, leaning in Cal's grip to point to the planet, her hand went through the picture, and she recoiled back fearfully. Ever since she was found almost four months ago, she's been trying to get used to everything on the ship, the high beds and the rumble of the floors when landing and taking off. She still didn’t understand why Cal left for periods of time, every time he came back he didn’t have anything, a solemn look usually on his features. 

“Can I come this time?” She asked softly, linking her hands around Cal’s neck and looking at him with puppy eyes. 

She trusted Cal the most, even though she slept with Merrin each night. She used to sleep with Cal, but he would frequently wake up from nightmares, at times he almost knocked her off the bed, so he told her to sleep with Merrin so she wouldn’t get hurt. Molly was against it at first, crying every time Cal would set her down on the night sisters bed, throwing a tantrum before the woman used her soothing voice to calm her down. 

“I don’t think so, there could be bad-guys,” Cal replied, lips pursing. Molly pouts, but nodded. 

Sighing, Cal pressed a few buttons before pointing to a green one, the symbol in the middle not being understood by the small child. “Here, you can start the destination route.”

Molly’s face split into a smile, always loving how the ship would come to life as Greez cheered that they were finally leaving. She leans forward, using her pointer finger to press the button. The lights in the ship all turned on, sounds blipping and beeping from where Greez was. 

“Finally! Wait- Tatooine?!” He yelled, turning around in his chair to glare at Cal, who only laughed. Merring gave the small girl a kiss on the cheek before turning and walking back to the couch, sitting down and crossing her legs. 

“But- I hate sand,” Greez grumbled as Cal walked up and set Molly down in the co-pilot seat, sitting down in the extra one while waiting for Cere to appear and sit in her seat. 

“Hey! Put your buckle on, kid,” Greez scolded. Molly pouted and reluctantly pulled the buckle around her small frame, her legs just barely passing the end of the chair. 

-

Back on Nur, (Y/n) was sitting at one of the chairs that surrounded a large table, her helmet perched in the chair next to her while she tapped her fingers against the glass tabletop. Lan was sitting on the other side of her, his hands in his lap while biting at his bottom lip. While (Y/n) tended to move her hands, Lan tended to move his legs and body, never sitting still for one moment. 

The door opened with a hiss, (Y/n) ignoring it while Lan looked, he stopped biting his lip and bouncing his leg, smiling slyly while tilting his head. 

“Well, hello Commander Maro,” he teased, his cocky behavior turning back on. (Y/n) rolled her eyes, kicking his leg under the table. Maro sneered at him, walking into the room and standing in front of the two INquisitors, his face stone cold and eyes full of hate and disappointment. 

“You two have failed the empire.” he said blatantly. Lan let out a bark of laughter, waving his hand at the old man. “Not like we haven't before,” he joked. (Y/n) sighed, closing her eyes to compose herself. Maro let out a huff, not wanting to be there for longer than he already was. 

“This was supposed to be an easy mission for you, you were supposed to either kill the Jedi or bring him back here to me,” Maro growled, stepping forward to lean down and slam his hands on the glass top, the legs shaking. 

“Yet, you didn’t tell us he was a clever little bug, you also didn’t tell us it would be humid on that day and there would be mud-” Lan was interrupted, “You were trained to kill in all environments!” 

Rolling her eyes, (Y/n) stood and picked up her helmet, debating on tossing it at the Admirals' face or not. 

“You forgot to mention he managed to escape from Lord Vader,” she said blankly. Maro stayed quiet, pursing his lips. (Y/n) smirked, rounding the table to walk behind him. 

“How would you expect us to kill on the first mission when he managed to escape him, managed to kill the ninth sister, and even turn the second. Why not let us play for a while, hm?” she said, her voice stern. Maro shivered at the sound of it from behind his back, trying to control his heartbeat. (Y/n) pressed a finger to the back of his head, a searing pain consuming him. He fell to his knees, lightning wrapping around his head while Lan just stood by and watched, smiling. 

“You know we never kill on the first date, we wait until the fifth, or sixth, that we like to play before we eat,” she seethed, finally pulling her finger away, Maro falling to the ground out of breath. His face was bright red, the blue lightning still sparking from his skin. “Y-you take too long-” Maro rushed out, gaining his composure to stand once more. He brushed off the front of his jacket, taking a deep breath before turning to look at (Y/n), her face blank and eyes empty. 

“Lord Vader sent word that he is growing impatient, you must act quickly-” He said, stopping when (Y/n) held up a finger, shaking her head and walking forward to press a small switch on the side of the table, it lightning up like one large data-pad. “Lord Vader will learn to control himself then, for he is the one that sent us here,” she began, narrowing her eyes while she began searching Kashyyk for the place they found the Jedi. 

She ended finding it, stopping and zooming in on the small closed-in valley. “Here,” she started, “The Jedi was talking to a Wookie and human female, the conversation not being picked up by either me or Lan, but he does now have an object,” she said. Maro stared at the Hologram intently, his hand raising to scratch at his chin. 

“There’s something bigger going on, I feel that this is like the Holocron mission, he's trying to find something again,” she said, furrowing her eyebrows in thought. Lan stood, pointing to where the Wookies and woman vanished. 

“The three he was with seemed to escape, they know the planet like the back of their hand, but I think if you send troops through here, you’ll find a camp or the army they’re conjuring,” he said. Maro hummed, allowing the two to spill their thoughts. 

“If we managed to find the Jedi and take the sphere, we will be able to take what he's looking for, let it be another Holocron, or even a hidden temple,” (Y/n) said with a sinister smile, turning to look at Maro. 

“And if it's nothing?” Maro asked, wiping his forehead to settle down the crackling under his skin. 

Lan shrugs, “we’ll still kill him.” he answered for (Y/n), then meeting eyes and nodding in agreement. 

They stood in silence for what felt like forever, the image sometimes glitching and moving from its place. Finally, Maro sighed and rested his hands on his hips, nodding his head. 

“Fine, but you have one month,” he said sternly, pointing a finger at Lan. 

“A  _ lot _ can happen in a month,” he said. Maro smirked while walking towards the door, swiping his keycard before turning back to the two. The door opened, clicking into the wall. 

“It can. Just don’t disappoint the empire,” he says before walking out, the door hissing shut behind him

Lan let out a soft ‘ _ pshht _ ’ while waving his hand at the closed door, slumping into his chair and groaning. “Can you maybe  _ not _ kill the admiral?” he said harshly, only earning a shoulder shrug in return. (Y/n) slid her helmet on, the sleek black metal cleaned and repaired from what happened on Kashyyyk. 

“He wouldn’t have listened if I didn’t shock him.”

“Well, yeah- but we’ll be in trouble if you kill him,” Lan grumbled, pouting. (Y/n) chuckled, walking around the table to ruffle his curly brown hair. 

“They need us more than ever, I doubt they would kill us,” she replied with a grumble. Lan stood up from his chair, following her to the door.

Lan furrowed his eyebrows then, remembering back when she insisted for the sphere instead of attacking as she would usually do. “What made you want the sphere so bad?” (y/n) stayed silent for a moment, before turning her back on the steel doors and looking at him. “A normal person wouldn't go to Kashyyyk to talk to a weird Wookie and Girl if it wasn't for something important, but someone who was determined and on a mission  _ would _ ,” she explained. 

(y/n) pulled out her keycard from her pocket, sliding it and waiting for it to slide open. 

“Makes sense, say- what do you think of him?” Lan questioned, walking out of the room and down the hallway, their shoulders brushing. “He had nice hair,” he finished. (Y/n)’s breathing could faintly be heard from under her helmet, boots clinking on the metal floor. “I don't know, I do know he's strong with the force,” she said. Lan hummed in agreement, passing by a few stormtroopers that stepped out of their way. They stopped once reaching a bridge that overlooked the TIE’s, purge troopers and pilots readying to depart. 

“You always say that, though,” she gave him a side-eyed look, leaning her body to bump hips with him. “I know, but- there's something different when he uses it, I can feel his force energy stronger than I can feel yours,” she said. Lan raised an eyebrow, scoffing before crossing his arms. 

“Better not replace me with that strawberry face,” he said, earning a laugh in reply. There was a pause of silence between them, the only sound being the chatter of troopers and the screeching of the TIE’s. “I do like his robot though,” Lan said. 

(Y/n) huffed, shaking her head while walking away, “You and your robots.”

“My fascination with that bot is sky high! Did you  _ see  _ the way he stabbed me?!” Lan shouted, rushing behind her. A few higher-ups gave him weird looks before turning back to whatever they were doing. 

Ever since they arrived at Nur, Lan and (y/n) have noticed that they are more ‘Down to Earth’ than the other inquisitors. From the others that they’ve met on base, they all talked like they were going to skin someone alive. With Lan and (Y/n), they could cover their eyes and blend in with a non-force sensitive. They’ve been trained to keep their emotions in check, using the strength of the dark-side when it’s needed the most. When not in combat or training, the two would do the things they enjoy, the only difference between them and a Jedi, was that they still had those beady yellow eyes and an enraged soul against the world. 

“I did, I also saw you scream like a girl,” (Y/n) spoke with a teasing tone, holding back a chuckle when hearing Lan grumble under his breath. 

“You didn’t see me almost break its big kriffing eyes!” he said, sounding defensive. 

“Mhm, sure.” She responded. “Where do you think he’ll be going next?” Lan questioned. Rolling her shoulders she shrugs and presses a button on the wall, an elevator being called down. 

“I don’t know, but we have eyes everywhere- when he lands, we’ll know where.”


	4. I Hate Sand. From, Greez.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seeing the same woman from Kashyyyk, her black helmet reflecting the sun. They stared at each other, Cal momentarily looking around to try and find the man she’s usually with. 
> 
> “Hello, Kestis,” she said smoothly. Cal shivered, taking a step back and grabbing his saber. “How’d you find me?” He pressed, side-glancing the people that ran away, hiding in shops and their homes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we gOoOoOoo

Tatooine was a planet covered in sand, mountains upon mountains of sand. When trying to find a place to land, a few moisture farms were visible, and there was only one city that they could find. The landing was difficult, the sand collapsing under the weight of the Mantis, sand flying into the engine and almost causing it to stall. When the ramp was down, sand immediately flooded up it and into the cabin, Greez grabbing a broom and trying to sweep it out. Cere, Cal, and Merrin all exited the ship, Cal’s eyes squinting and sweat already beading on his forehead at the blazing sun above them. He took off his poncho, the shirt he was wearing cut to his elbows, and forgoing his thicker vest for a thinner one. BD-1 told him the temperature of the planet, but Cal ignored it so he wouldn't back out and go hide back on Bogano. 

“There’s only sand here,” Merrin said, her eyes taking in as much as she could, looking every which way. Cal chuckled at her, walking past to head towards the city in the distance. “There are also people, and farmers,” he said to her. Merrin hummed, stepping in place, the sand slowly swallowing her boots. Cere leaned against the gear holding the ramp open, her arms crossed. “Who do you plan on meeting her?” she asked. 

Cal gave a lopsided smile, unclipping the sphere from his waist and tossing it around in his hands. “No clue, but I think I’ll know when I see them.”

“Are your stim canisters full? Extra snacks and blaster?” Cere said, Cal, nodded his head while beginning to walk backward, tipping his head. 

“I got it, cere, don’t worry!” he called before jogging away. Cere shook her head and looked over to Merrin, who was now crouched downplaying in the sand. 

“The energy here. It's strong.” Was all Merrin said, smiling softly when picking up a handful of sand, spreading her fingers to let it fall through, “I worry he’ll get in trouble,” Cere said with worry. Merrin looked up to her, standing and walking to the ramp, “It's Cal, he always gets in trouble.”

The sand slowly began to end, stone replacing it as Cal walked towards the city. There were tents and buildings catering different objects and foods, they all paid him no look. Speeders were parked outside of a cantine, the metal rusted, and some missing parts. Species’ of all kinds shoved different objects in his face, yelling prices to try and get him to buy it. Each time, Cal would recoil and move around it, shaking his head with a small smile. BD-1 was shaking with excitement on his shoulders, constantly looking down to Cal to get the okay to jump down and scan everything he could. 

He stopped when coming across an antique shop, the tent having a few people in front, a older lady covered with dirty brown clothing sat on a rickety chair. Her hands were in her lap, a small leather bag that must have held credits. He walked towards her, stopping in front of the rusted old objects. He ran his fingers over a few things, pulling back to wipe off the black dust that transferred. BD-1 managed to scan a few items from Cal's shoulder. 

“You’re here for it, aren't you?” The old woman said, not looking up to him. Cal froze, narrowing his eyes at her while his hand went to his belt., hovering over his saber. The old woman tutted, bringing her hand up to wave it at him. 

“You wouldn't pull that on me, little boy,” she scolded. Cal stayed quiet but dropped his hand away from his side. BD-1 switched shoulders, ignoring the woman's words. “You know about it?” He asked, skeptical that they were talking about the same thing. 

“Oh,” she chuckled, “You’re not the only one who came searching,” she said. Some people behind them paused to look, but when seeing the two have a stare-off, they decided to keep walking, even if it was just Cal staring at the old woman.

Huffing, Cal looks around before unclipping the Sphere once more from his belt, holding it up in front of him. 

“You have one of these?” He questioned. The lady hummed and shrugged her shoulders, “Maybe I do, Maybe I don't,” she replied. Cal pursed his lips, clipping the sphere back onto his belt. BD-1 took a dare and jumped off Cal’s shoulder, carefully walking across the creaking table to scan everything. 

“I don’t have time for this,” Cal grumbled, reaching over to grab BD-1. The lady finally looked up, frowning while staring at him. Cal paused, slowly putting BD-1 back on his shoulder. 

“You’re diving into the wrong story, boy,” she says. Raising an eyebrow, he tilts his head. “What do you mean?” She shrugs again, her hands sliding behind the blanket that covers her lap, returning with an identical sphere. 

“You could die, carrying this around,” she warns. Cal looks at it, debating if he should reach forwards and take it or not. She slides her frail finger through the belt clip on the sphere, letting it dangle from her hand. “I take that chance just by existing,” Cal countered, looking at her before reaching out for the sphere. She pulls it back slightly, smiling coyly while tilting her head. “What do I get in return, hm?” she said. 

Cal sighed and pulled out a small bag of credits, holding it out for her. She ponders, shaking her head and pulling back the sphere more. 

“What else can you offer, boy?” 

Cal huffed, already more annoyed than he was when he first started talking to this weird old lady. He looked over his belt, not finding anything, the only other thing he had he didn’t need was his blaster. “Tik-Tik-Tok,” she teased. 

Taking the blaster, he holds it out to her. She cackles and hands him the sphere, grabbing the blaster and looking it over. Cal shook his head before turning to walk away, stopping when feeling her hand on his wrist. 

“Once you open it, there's no going back,” she said. Cal just looked at her, pulling his hand away and walking further into the city. 

“ _ Trill blip, beep”  _

“Yeah, weird,” he said softly. Some people stopped and stared at him, eyeing the hilt on his hip. Without his poncho, there was no way he could hide his saber, but everybody must have thought he stole it off a body. Hopefully. 

The further he walked, the more people he saw, the laughter of kids, and the loud talking of people making it difficult to find his way around. The energy emitting through the air getting stronger and stronger the longer he walked. It was the force, it was leading him somewhere. 

Cal was confused, he thought it would have been harder to find the sphere, he thought he’d be searching all day and had to talk to way more people. The energy suddenly disappeared, his mind stomped back into reality. The people around him were quiet, barely anybody was around anymore. He looks around, seeing a few stormtroopers standing at the entrance of a cantina, their helmets looking at the people as they passed by. Taking a deep breath, Cal lets his arm swing down, covering up part of his saber. 

Turning down a narrow alleyway, he walks faster. There must have been away he could circle around and make it back to the mantis, right? 

At the other end of the alleyway, he stopped and peaked his head around the corner, seeing the small shop he saw the lady at. Two purge troopers were talking to her, their staffs hooked onto their backs. Clenching his teeth, Cal curses under his breath, if two were here, then there was probably more. BD-1 trilled, gaining Cal’s attention. The small bot jumped down from his shoulder, rushing through the crowd of people. Cal called out for him, trailing as best as he could through the crowd. BD-1 was jumping in front of a small exit, the other end must have come out at the edge of the city, where he could get away and back to the mantis. 

He looks behind himself and begins to shimmy through the small exit, squinting as he tried to see. Sweat ran down his forehead, and the closed space just made the humidity worse. He had to stand on his tiptoes to be able to fit through, but when he made it to the other side, he took a gulp of fresh air. 

“Show me the map?” Cal asked breathlessly, crouching down next to BD-1 while he projected a map of the city. The com that was linked behind his ear beeped, someone from The Mantis wanting to talk to him. While looking over the many routes he could take from where he was, he reached up and clicked on the small button. 

“Why did we come to a sand planet?!” Greez yelled, Cal wincing. He could hear Greez walking through the mantis, his footsteps frantic. “Calm down Greez,” Cal laughed. 

“Calm down?! Mantis is being swallowed whole by the stupid sand! I feel it in places it shouldn't be, kid!” he yelled back. Shaking his head, Cal nodded to BD-1 and picked him back up, who made himself home on Cal’s vest. He began walking, looking around corners. 

“I’ll be back soon, finding the sphere was easier than I thought,” he said. Greez yelped, a crashing sound coming through the coms. “What was that?” Cal asked. There was shuffling on the other side before he heard the calm voice of Merrin. 

“Greez was trying to clean the ship, but he slipped and fell, so now he's complaining about slippery sand,” she explained. Cal laughed, briskly walking down the side of one of the main streets. 

“How did you find it?” Merrin asked. 

“This old woman had it, said I could die if I open it,” Cal grumbled back. Taking a sharp turn when seeing a purge trooper, he waits for them to pass before continuing to walk. 

Merrin hummed, “Seems weird.”

“You’re telling me, I just feel like it should have been harder to find, like things with the Holocron,” Cal said quietly, keeping his head down. 

“The Holocron was being tracked by the empire too, not just you,” she said softly. Cal Stopped, feeling a spike of fear from the people around him. He could hear Merrin call out to him, but he ignored her, spinning around to look around. 

“Kriff,” he said. Seeing the same woman from Kashyyyk, her black helmet reflecting the sun. They stared at each other, Cal momentarily looking around to try and find the man she’s usually with. 

“Hello, Kestis,” she said smoothly. Cal shivered, taking a step back and grabbing his saber. “How’d you find me?” He pressed, side-glancing the people that ran away, hiding in shops and their homes. 

“Cal?” He hears Merrin say softly, her voice trembling. He cursed under his breath, debating on attacking her or being on the defensive. 

“It's easy when you have eyes everywhere,” she chuckled, stepping closer. Cal matched her, stepping back when she stepped forward. 

He yelped when backing into a hard chest, a hand snatching the com from behind his ear. BD-1 yelped as well, jumping down from Cal’s shoulder to hide behind a crate off to the side. Cal whipped around, hand clutching the place his com was, glaring. 

“How cute, you talk to any cute girls?” Lan teased, sliding the com around in his hand. Cal tried to grab it back, but Lan activated his saber, holding it close to Cal's throat. “Ah-Ah, bad puppy,” he cooed. 

Cal grabbed the hilt of his saber, bringing it forward and pressing the button to activate it, the violet-purple clashing with Lans red blade. Lan laughed, stumbling backward, dropping the com in the process. He could see out of the corner of his eye the girl dash forward, her hand outstretched to try and grab him, but he quickly drops to the ground to roll away. 

“You can only run away for so long, just give me the spheres and I’ll  _ think  _ about not killing you,” Her voice was deep behind the mask, the robotic effect made a shiver run down Cal's spine. Lan bent down to pick up the com again, holding it out for her to take. 

“Why? I don't even know you!” Cal yelled, saber out in a defensive position. Lan laughs and leans an elbow on her shoulder, shaking his head and pointing to Cal. “(Y/n) doesn't like showing her face to  _ Jedi _ ,” he spat, his saber still crackling at his side. Cal searched his mind for anybody he knew named (Y/n), but he couldn't remember anything. 

“Take that back to the ship,” (Y/n) said, motioning down to the earpiece. Cal growled, jumping forward to swipe at the pair, them only stepping out of the way. Lan turned and dashed away, his saber sheathed and back at his side. Cal turned his attention to (Y/n), tightening his grip. The last time this happened, he managed to get away by covering her eyes with mud. This time, there's no mud, just sand. Cal looked around slyly for anything he could use, seeing BD-1 peaking around the crate.

“You don’t have to do this, you know,” Cal said, giving her a lopsided smile. He hears (Y/n) groan, her gloved hand perched on her saber. 

“You’re right, I don't, I should just kill you and be done with the mission,” she said, Cal’s smile dropping into a frown. “You don't have to succumb to the dark side, there's still light,” he tried again, pressing forth as he did with Trilla. But she wasn't Trilla, and he was going to learn that. 

She steps back and spins, her leg smashing into Cal's side. He cries out, swinging at her leg, she doges easily. He raises once again and tries to bring the blade down on her, but she steps to the side and forward to punch him in the same place she kicked, Cal folding once again. He drops to a knee, clutching his side. (Y/n) kicks him against his chest, knocking the air from his lungs. 

“Don’t talk to me like you can change me, Kestis, I’m much more different from  _ Trilla _ ,” she spits. Cal wheezes, attempting to hold his hand out to force slow her, but she pulls off her glove and grabs his hand, intending to shock him. 

What they felt was unexplainable, the world seemed to pause. Cal could feel her pain, the anger she held, and the sadness she suppressed. She could feel the light he harbored, the amount of  _ good _ he held, his happiness and- Hope? She could feel the force swell, the feeling of euphoria washing over her in a thick blanket. They both paused, staring at each other, until she snatches her hand away, stumbling back and holding the side of her helmet, the sounds of the world around her crashing over her like ice-water. 

“What,” Cal muttered, still on the ground. (Y/n) stands still, not looking at anything but the ground. Standing, Cal steps back before turning, sprinting down the street and hopefully towards the mantis. 

(Y/n) stood still, still stuck in the position Cal left her in. She was breathing heavily, she hadn't felt the light in so long, the bright, light flame sparking right in front of her. She felt Lan shake her, but his voice seemed distant. “Hey! (Y/n)!” Lan yells, standing in front of her while shaking her shoulders. Her hand falls from her helmet, looking up to Lan, concerned eyes staring back at her. 

“Lan,” she said softly, stopping the boy from shaking. “I- I don’t know what just happened,” she said, huffing out and swatting his hands away. He looks at her with raised eyebrows, turning to look at where Cal ran off to. 

The force went from being overwhelmingly bright, to overly dark, back to where it was before she touched him. The buzz was still surging up her arm, her palm feeling numb. 

“Come on, we can track them from the ship- (Y/n)! Screw your kriffin head back on!” Lan yelled, already running down the street, back towards the ship they arrived in. Blinking, (Y/n) shakes her head and turns, chasing after Lan.

As Cal ran, BD-1 was trying to catch up with him, his frantic trills not being noticed by Cal. He pushes past everybody he almost bumps into, the people giving him weird looks as to why he was running. His heart was beating in his ears, a loud ringing resonating in his skull. The tingle was slowly leaving his hand, finally being able to recognize the feeling in his hand again. 

There were thoughts running through his mind so quickly he wasn't able to get a hold of any of them. 

Cal stopped when he could taste the iron in the back of his throat, his lungs screaming at him to stop. He turned around, wide eyes frantically looking for (y/n) or Lan, but he didn't see anybody, not even the purge troopers. A cackle made him turn his head, the old woman sitting in the same spot he left her in. He glares at her, stomping over to her and reaching over the thick piece of wood separating them, grabbing her collar to pull her closer. 

“Is that why you gave it to me so easily? Hm? You tipped off the  _ Empire?!”  _ He yelled, the woman's smile only growing. 

“Why not?” She said, patting his hand with hers. He shook his head and let her drop back to the chair. “You really thought I’d give you a Jedi coordinate with a  _ blaster _ trade? Stupid boy,” she hissed. Cal stopped, his anger vanishing from his body. “A Jedi coordinate?” He asked softly, his hand going back to slyly touch the sphere. HIs saber still crackled and hissed in his hand, the violet-purple flame burning the sand. 

“The Empire has been looking for it- stupid thing points to a  _ Jedi Refugee _ planet or whatever,” she grumbles, waving her hand dismissively at him. Cal tilts his head, why should he trust what she's saying if she led the Empire right to him. 

“You’re lying.” He said plainly, glancing around him. She only hums, shrugging her shoulders and positioning the thin blanket over her lap once more. “I may be, I may not.” Cal bit onto his bottom lip, taking a step back. 

“If you’re telling the truth?” He said softly, the woman looks up at him, a glint in her eye. 

“Then you find the other Jedi, but there will be consequences if the empire does too,” she explained. 

“If you’re lying?” Cal said, a beat of silence between them passing. The people around were slowly beginning to thin, either going home or to the center of the city to the more expensive shops. 

“Then you’re going to run straight into the empire, and most likely die.” 

Cal nodded his head, pondering what she was saying. BD-1 finally managed to catch up, his head resting against Cal's shin as he tried to cool off his processing unit. Bending down Cal picks up the bot, giving him a silent apology while placing him up onto his shoulder. He looks back to the old woman, who had a small smile on her face. “You choose your path, Jedi. May the force be with you,” she said. Cal could feel his stomach drop, he hasn't heard that from a stranger before. He narrows his eyes at her, but she keeps her same expression. 

“Uh,” he pauses, taking a step back while raising an eyebrow. She gave a small laugh, leaning back in her chair. “You too,” Cal said softly. He couldn’t sense if she was force sensitive or not, but she seemed to know he was. 

She motioned her head to the side, telling him to get a move on. He gives her one more look before turning and jogging to the edge of the city. The energy the force was giving off was felt underneath his feet, was it her? Was it the first brother and sister? They didn’t seem to give off strong force energy. What was it? It flooded through the streets, making itself known once more. The light had darkness hidden inside, circling around him, trying to pull him back into the city. 

He shakes his head, trying to straighten his thoughts out, he couldn't go back in there a risk seeing the firsts’ again. Before leaving, he sheathes his saber and clips it to his belt. 

Something- Someone was here, the force within them was strong. 

BD-1 trilled softly to him, his foot tapping his shoulder. Cal huffed, his eyebrows furrowed. “I feel something-” he whispered, the bot just able to pick it up. Tilting his head, Bd-1 looks in the direction Cal was, trying to see what Cal saw. 

“ _ Beep?”  _

“No- no, The energy, its coming from over there,” Cal replied. Taking a step in the direction, BD-1 starts tapping his shoulder harshly. His foot grabbed onto his vest, pulling it into the direction the Mantis was landed. 

Sighing, Cal nods to BD-1 and walks in the direction the Mantis was, staring into the sand as he went. The suns were beginning to set, the horizon illuminating a light orange that mixed with the sky. 


	5. A Spark of Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m nothing without the dark,” she whispers. “The dark is who I’ll please until the day comes where it finds no use for me,” Lan continues.

The ship was quiet when (Y/n) and Lan arrived, she knew they somehow found out. Lan probably told them for all she knew. She felt shame crawl up her back, not knowing if she should yell at them or stay silent. Lan pushed past the crew, yelling to the pilot to find the red-headed Jedi and to stay on his tail. By the time (Y/n) and Lan got to the ship, Cal was already near the Mantis. 

(Y/n) was still processing everything, the tingling reminding her that, yes,  _ something _ happened between her and Cal. 

Shaking her head, (Y/n) sighs and makes her way to the front, overwatching Lan chewing out the Pilot. 

“Go  _ faster _ !” he yells, the man flinching and pressing buttons as fast as he could. Lan glances back at her before turning to slap the back of the pilots head. “There you go! I know you’re no dumbass!” he says, the ship making it into the air. They could see the Mantis in the distance, quickly trying to gain momentum to escape them. 

“Lan,” (Y/n) said softly, grabbing his shoulder. He turns to her, raising an eyebrow. “What?” he says harshly, his glare evident. 

“I need to see the Admiral,” she persists. He looks at her, confusion masking his anger. 

“You never want to see the Admiral?” He questions. 

“This time I do, forget the kriffing Jedi and set course to Nur. It's urgent,” she says. Lan stares at her a moment longer but managed to nod and turn back to the scared pilot, telling him to set course. (Y/n) waits until the crew is preparing for hyperspeed before turning and quickly walking back to her quarters. 

The ship they took was bigger than necessary, extra troops were taken in case something backfired. (Y/n) and Lan both had a small room to themselves, only a bed and a desk was crammed into it. The ship was sleek enough to stay inconspicuous to foes but recognizable to the Empire. 

The door hissed closed behind her, dragging her harshly from her thoughts. Sitting down on the edge of her bed, she slowly peels the gloves off, tossing them to the side. There was a quiet knock at the door, it hisses when it opened. She knew it was Lan, she didn’t have to look up to know that. The bed sank wit his weight as he sat down next to her, his hand poking her thigh. 

“You’re acting weird,” he says softly. Staying silent, she took a moment to listen to the bustle of the crew and grounded herself with the sound of Lans breathing. 

“Something,” she pauses, the air in her helmet feeling hotter, “happened. Between me and Kestis.” 

Lan pursehis lips, turning to look at her. She kept her gaze on the steel floor, the view from her helmet casting a red haze. 

“Something always happens-” 

“Through the force, Lan,” she cuts him off. Lan didn’t know what to say to her, he's never dealt with (Y/n) when she was confused. She was usually the one comforting  _ him _ . Not the other way around. 

“Tell me about it?” he suggests softly. He raises a hand to console her, but lets in drop. 

“I was supposed to stun him- take him here so I could get the location of his ship- but, when I touched him- I don’t know how to explain it,” she rushes out her sentence, going between confusion and anger. She mumbles some bits but grits out others. 

“I felt how much light he held- how much hope and love. The force was so much stronger when I touched him, it was-”

_ Beautiful _

“Enraging,” she spits. 

Sighing, Lan carefully places a hand onto her shoulder, the black leather shoulder-pad hot to the touch. 

“Has this happened before? What do you think it is?” (Y/n) only shrugs, pressing her hand against her forehead and leaning down. She felt his hand rubbing her back, but was too tired to stop him. The amount of energy that left her was enough to make her drowsy. 

“If it has, then I haven't heard about it,” she says softly, her voice trembling slightly. Swallowing, she stands from the bed and places her hands on her hips. 

“I haven’t felt the light in so long, Lan,” she croaks. Lan stands quickly and walks behind her, wrapping his arms around her to provide any sort of comfort. 

“If our master finds out I’ll-” she gets cut off, Lans voice slicing through hers. 

“I would never let that happen, I won't let him touch you,” he growls. (Y/n) places a hand against her chest, her heartbeat quick. 

“You can’t stop him, you know you can’t. The only way for me to eliminate the light is to kill what causes it,” she says, going back to the basics she was taught. 

They stood silently after that, the words hanging in the air. (Y/n) swallowed every ounce of weakness she had, but when Lan holds her as he did back then, she can't help but let her emotions through. The overwhelming urge to cry, to scream and demand the force what it was doing to her, why it would cause what happened between her and Cal. Instead, she trapped it deep within her chest, locking behind the anger and hate she held for the Jedi. 

“I’m nothing without the dark,” she whispers. “The dark is who I’ll please until the day comes where it finds no use for me,” Lan continues. 

“One is weak without its power,” they say. Lan’s arms tighten around her, his chin resting on her helmet. 

“The Jedi took everything from us,” Lan said softly, swallowing the urge to be quiet, to let the light grow. 

“The Jedi trapped you, our master freed you,” he whispers. (Y/n) stilled, her mind slowly dropping into meditating. 

“The Jedi lied, the damned ones taught us to be weak, to conform to the republic,” he growls. The energy in the room went from scared, confused, and tired. To a swirl of anger, hatred, and power. The dark seeped through the ship, the energy the two swirling and swallowing any of the lightness they held inside. 

“You’re my sister, as I am your brother, together we will kill the remaining Jedi.”

Lan lets go, the room dropping back to what it once was before he arrived. The waves bled out, the force crawling back to where it found a home. Lan took a breath, rubbing his eyes. He knew they would be brighter, the darkness consumes him. (Y/n) was more relaxed, comforted by the thick blanket the dark gave her. The power of it brought her back to the ground, back to where she knew best. Her emotions were back in check, her hands clenching before turning to Lan, taking her helmet off. 

Her eyes were bright, cheeks wet and pink. Her hair was a mess, but it still fell the way it always did. Lan smiles, grabbing her face and wiping her tears away. 

“Our master would be proud, you haven’t grounded in a cycle or two,” he teases. She swats his hands away, slapping his chest. Her gaze was serious, lips no longer trembling. 

“Nobody is to know what happened here, not even our master,” she demands. Lan holds his hands up in surrender before giving her a teasing salute, his once dominating presence sizzling down to the soft one only she knows. “I’ll figure out this, bond, or whatever it is with Kestis, and I’ll sever it,” she says. Lan smiles, looking at her proudly. 

“Can I at least keep the robot?” 

She huffs, pulling her helmet back on, turning, and storming out of the room, Lans protests loudly behind her. The crew grew rigid and quiet as they both walked. They stepped proudly next to one another, Lan occasionally bumping shoulders. 

When reaching the cockpit, she could tell they were close to landing at the Inquisitor Fortress. Many troopers of different kinds scurrying around, while other workers were preparing for their ship to land. Lan braces a hand on the back of the pilots' chair, leaning down to give a sinister smile to him. The pilot, who could hear them approach, still trembled and tried to lean away. 

“You did badly- not horribly, take it how you want,” he says before standing up at his full height. 

Lan was always taller than (Y/n), even when they first met. He always teased and pushed her buttons, acting like a younger brother, but in reality they didn’t know who was older. They didn’t even know when they were born, or where, they only know what their master told them. Throughout their years together, they grew a bond within the space between them. What Lan did poorly in, (Y/n) excelled, and vice-versa. 

Turning back, Lan walks to the slowly descending ramp with (Y/n), troopers lined respectfully for them as they pass. 

“Ten credits Maro turns red when he sees us empty-handed,” Lan rushes, spotting Commander Maro waiting for them. He was looking down at his Data-pad. Hair perfectly styled and his beard finally being seen, no longer just a shadow on his cheeks. (Y/n) hummed, contemplating. 

“You’re on,” she mumbles. Lan silently celebrates but quickly composed himself as they both stop a decent distance away from the silent Commander. 

“Commander,” (Y/n) says, gaining his attention. His peaceful aura drops to an annoyed one when seeing Lan smiling stupidly at him, and closing his eyes as he takes a long inhale. 

“Firsts’” he greets shortly, looking behind them, snapping his eyes forward. “No Kestis?” he asks. (Y/n) continues to look at him while Lan puts his weight onto one side, tilting his head. “That's for the next date-” Lan tries to joke, but is cut off. 

“You two cant do anything right, can you?” he blurts loudly, his eyebrows furrowing in anger. His eyes looked at them with swirling anger, switching between the two of them. Lan only shrugs, bumping shoulders with (Y/n), who sighs and tilts her head down. 

“Didn’t tell us it was gonna be hot-” he gets cut off again by the seething Commander. 

“Everybody knows Tatooine is a  _ hot sandy planet!” _ he screeches, throwing his hands up. (Y/n) winced, almost seeing the datapad being thrown at them. Turning, Maro marches into the base with the two on his tail. Lan continues to throw teasing comments, which just furthers Maros's anger. 

Maro walked them into the main control room. Many officers were watching over troopers, some frantically rushing around with papers, some speaking loudly into comlinks, and others monitoring the training going on in different spaces across the facility. 

“He found another Sphere,” (Y/n) said blankly, Maro turning to glare at her. She shrugs, her nerves rising as he continued to stare at her for long. Lan shuffles around the room, peaking over the shoulders of shaking individuals. The room was large, voices echoing down the bridge as more people filled the room. The large windows let her watch the dark storm clouds pass, the trees swaying harshly in the wind. Tie fighters flew across the sky, troopers training for more battles ahead. 

“Look who finally decided to show up,” a voice sneered. (Y/n)’s shoulders tensed, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. The twi’lek made herself known by slapping a hand onto (Y/n)s back. Her smile was full of sharp teeth. 

“La’vena.” (Y/n) says. She doesn’t move to look at her, she already knew how La’vena was gazing at her. Lan looked up to them, but his once good attitude was gone, replaced with displeasing at seeing the other Inquisitor. 

“And here I was thinking you’d still call me Fourth, glad to see we’re past that,” she teased, leaning to bump shoulders with (Y/n). 

La’vena, also known as the Fourth Sister, was a Twi’lek that was found with other padawans, being taken and converted in a short amount of time. She was dressed in tight leather, opting out of a helmet in favor of a leather choker that went to wrap around her head, her blue skin looked bright against the black. Her eyes were yellow, just like the other Inquisitors. She had a cape, which she took pride in when fighting, boasting, and teasing about how she looked cool while (Y/n) looked lame. 

La’vena hasn't won a spare battle against (Y/n), she doesn't like to talk about it. 

(Y/n) rolled her eyes, looking to the girl, “I could start again,  _ Fourth _ ,” she spat, stepping away from her. La’vena whined but walked down to where Lan was, bumping hips with him. “Lannie, your sisters being mean again,” she cooed. Lan shook her off, only glancing down at her. 

“You know not to call me that, and (Y/n) can speak how she pleases,” he hisses. Pouting, she walks around the room, the officers not paying her any mind. 

“Did you catch the Jedi?” she asked, turning to lean against an empty desk, her arms crossing. (Y/n) shook her head slightly, watching Maro hunch over a computer, helping decipher the coordinates for the comlink. 

“Say, maybe you'll be able to if I come along next time, I haven't been out in so long,” she says, tilting her head and smiling at the siblings. Lan scoffed, walking back to (Y/n). His shoulders were pushed back, hands clasped behind his back. 

“No,” he blanked. La’vena groaned, kicking the floor with her boot. 

“But I haven't been out!” she cries, Lan only shrugging his shoulders. 

There was a tingle up (Y/n)s back, the feeling of someone's hand pressing against her forehead. She froze, she had her hamlet on, how is someone touching her. Glancing around, she spins and exits the room, Lan not following after her. She could vaguely hear La’vena call out for her, wondering where she was going so fast. 

Her feet carried her to the bridge, it being vacant of any troopers. The hanger below was empty, the troopers must have been in training, or in the mess hall. She didn’t care. 

She felt something, but she couldn't place her finger on it, a feeling that someone was touching her, grasping her tightly. Confusion quickly changed to anger, sparks beginning to crackle between her fingers. Breathing heavy, she decides to tune in on the feeling, willing it to stop. 

_ -at do you mean?  _

She jumps, hearing the voice of a woman so clear, she looked around to ensure she was alone.  _ What the kriff? _

_ Something happened between me and (Y/n)- _

Growling, she recognized Cals voice, it filled her head. She clenched her fists, the lightning beginning to crawl up her arms, snapping and crackling at the leather sleeves. 

“Kestis,” she spits. She let the force swell around her, the lights flickering once before dimming. The rage that flooded every inch of the bridge made anybody who thought about crossing it stop and turn the other direction. She couldn’t hear anything on the other side, she hoped he could hear her like she could hear him. 

_ (Y/n)? _ His voice echoed. It was quiet, scared, confused.

_ What is this?  _ She could hear him ask. She didn’t reply, looking down to her hands, the skin red and her sleeves burning. As fast as everything swelled, it disappeared, she forced the feeling out of her head. The lights went back to the brightness they were at, the swelling of rage simmered down, crawling back to swim in her chest. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not that experience with how the force works, so I'm sorry if it's not what it's supposed to be. This is my guilty-pleasure fic and I wanted to post it so others could enjoy it too :))
> 
> Updates will be sporadic and weird


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